Chris Nicholl, former defender, has passed away at 77. He played over 200 games each for Aston Villa and Southampton and earned 51 caps for Northern Ireland. After his playing days, he managed Southampton and Walsall and also served as an assistant manager for Northern Ireland.
Former Southampton and Northern Ireland defender Chris Nicholl, who captained Aston Villa to a League Cup victory, has passed away at 77. Nicholl, who also managed Southampton and later Walsall, had been battling dementia, specifically chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition he attributed to brain damage from repeatedly heading footballs throughout his career.
Nicholl’s death was announced through a family statement on his daughter Cathy’s Facebook account, stating, “It is with a heavy heart that we write this. Chris Nicholl (our dad) sadly passed away peacefully on Saturday evening in hospital. He fought a very long battle with CTE, caused by his dedication to football. Words can’t describe how much we’ll miss him.”
Born in Wilmslow, Nicholl was capped 51 times by Northern Ireland and played for them in the 1982 World Cup finals in Spain. He began his career at Burnley and went on to make over 200 appearances for both Aston Villa and Southampton. Known for his dependable defense, he notably scored a 40-yard goal in Villa’s 3-2 League Cup final victory over Everton in 1977, which required extra time at Old Trafford.
In a series of posts on the club’s official X (formerly Twitter) account, Aston Villa expressed their sorrow over the passing of former player Chris Nicholl at the age of 77. They stated, “Aston Villa is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former player Chris Nicholl. The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Chris’ family and friends at this difficult time. A two-time promotion and League Cup winner, Chris Nicholl’s achievements in claret and blue will never be forgotten. He was a dominant figure at the heart of the Aston Villa defense for over five seasons, making 252 appearances and scoring 20 goals. Rest in peace, Chris.”
Following his playing career, Nicholl moved into management, taking over at Southampton in the summer of 1985 as Lawrie McMenemy’s replacement. During his tenure, he promoted emerging talents like Alan Shearer, Matt Le Tissier, and Rod Wallace to the first team.
Alan Shearer commented on X, “RIP Chris Nicholl. You believed in me and gave me my chance. Thank you.”
Matt Le Tissier added, “The thoughts and prayers of my family go out to the family of my first manager Chris Nicholl, who has sadly passed away. I’ll always be eternally grateful to Chris for having the faith in me as a 17-year-old boy to give me my opportunity to prove I was good enough to be a professional footballer. Gone, but never forgotten #RIPChris.”
Nicholl left Southampton in May 1991 and spent three years away from the game before taking the managerial position at Walsall.
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